Chapter Summaries

After Wang Juyi took over Aaron Anderson’s body in 1988, Aaron fought off three muggers in Koreatown and reflected on his new life and Hollywood knowledge. The next morning, he dressed for his first official day as an assistant agent at CAA and headed to its Beverly Hills headquarters.

• Aaron Anderson handed over his cash to three muggers, then beat them after realizing they had no weapons and reclaimed his money.
• Aaron returned to his apartment and recalled how Wang Juyi had taken over his body, his father John Anderson’s death, and his own path from a talent agency mailroom to an assistant agent job.
• Aaron recognized that his memories of future Hollywood films and events could help him in the entertainment industry.
• Aaron dressed in his thrift-store suit and took a taxi to CAA headquarters in Beverly Hills for his first official day as an assistant agent.

Aaron Anderson began his new role as an assistant agent at CAA under Paula Wagner, who managed Tom Cruise and discussed his recent and upcoming films. After delivering coffee, Aaron helped Jack Wells sort through scripts while planning to find promising new clients.

• Paula Wagner assigned Aaron Anderson to her team after he completed six months in CAA's mailroom and urged him to discover clients.
• Paula Wagner sent Aaron to buy cappuccinos, and Tom Cruise arrived at CAA to discuss Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, and Days of Thunder.
• Aaron delivered coffee during Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise's meeting, then returned to the office next door.
• Jack Wells urged Aaron to search for young talent rather than repeat mailroom tasks, and Aaron offered to help organize the scripts.

Aaron Anderson struggled to find promising clients through aimless scouting and decided to look for talent at the Sundance Film Festival. After Paula Wagner gave him money and company support, he paid his rent and packed for the trip.

• Aaron Anderson bought a used car and continued scouting around Los Angeles with Jack Wells, who advised him to cultivate newcomers and build long-term relationships.
• Aaron practiced shooting with his Glock pistols at an abandoned factory outside East Los Angeles.
• Aaron told Paula Wagner he wanted to attend the Sundance Film Festival to find promising independent directors, and she gave him a $1,000 check and promised the company's support.
• Aaron argued with his landlord Rafael about the apartment's noise and safety, paid $150 in rent, and packed clothes for Sundance.

At the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Aaron Anderson found Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape and offered to represent him in selling its distribution rights. Soderbergh agreed to let Aaron negotiate, while keeping final control over the deal.

• After searching Park City theaters for three days, Aaron found Sex, Lies, and Videotape and watched it.
• Aaron met director Steven Soderbergh and praised his film.
• Aaron offered to seek a high-price distribution deal for the film in exchange for a ten percent commission.
• Soderbergh agreed to let Aaron handle inquiries about distribution rights but reserved the final decision for himself.
• Aaron left Soderbergh to attend the Sundance closing ceremony, promising to surprise him.

As Sundance ended without recognizing "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," Steven Soderbergh worried that distributors would offer too little for the film. Aaron Anderson negotiated with Harvey Weinstein and secured a $1.2 million deal with Miramax for the North American theatrical rights, leaving Steven celebrating the record-setting sale.

• Steven Soderbergh told Aaron Anderson that independent distributors were hesitant to buy "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" after it received no recognition at Sundance.
• Harvey Weinstein offered $600,000 for the film's North American theatrical and videotape rights, but Aaron argued that the film's prospects and possible Cannes reception made it worth more.
• Aaron demanded $2 million for the theatrical rights and invoked CAA's support and the prospect of Cannes to strengthen his negotiating position.
• Harvey raised his offer to $1 million for the theatrical rights, and Aaron countered with $1.2 million, requiring Miramax to pay in cash within a week.
• Harvey accepted the deal, and Steven congratulated Aaron for securing a record-setting independent film sale at Sundance.

Aaron Anderson earned official agent status at CAA after brokering the sale of "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," and planned to find more promising talent. After threatening noisy neighbors with a handgun, he prepared to move out of his Koreatown apartment.

• Aaron told Paula Wagner that "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" could earn more than $20 million at the box office, and she sent him to meet Michael Ovitz.
• Michael Ovitz gave Aaron a $100,000 commission check, made him an official CAA agent, and told him to host Steven Soderbergh's signing ceremony.
• Aaron searched CAA's script storage room for romantic-comedy drafts and told Jack Wells he would introduce him to Steven Soderbergh.
• Aaron confronted the noisy neighbors in his apartment building with a handgun and ordered them to keep quiet.
• Aaron warned the neighbors not to cause trouble and decided to move out the next day.

Aaron settled into his new home, secured a contract for Steven Soderbergh, and bought the rights to Bruce Robin’s Ghost screenplay. He planned to develop the script himself, though his agency career faced an eventual end because agents could not participate in film production.

• Aaron moved from Koreatown into a detached apartment near Plummer Park in West Hollywood.
• Steven Soderbergh signed with CAA, and Aaron discussed revising Sex, Lies, and Videotape with Miramax for a Cannes submission.
• Susan Miller told Michael Ovitz that Judy Hofflund and David Greenblatt had left CAA to found ITA, prompting Ronald Meyer to organize a campaign against the new agency.
• Aaron chose Ghost, a script by Bruce Robin, and offered to acquire its rights for three years while promising to develop it by the deadline.
• Aaron and Bruce Robin signed the purchase agreement, and Aaron paid $150,000 with a $40,000 deposit.
• Aaron offered to introduce Bruce Robin to an agent, while recognizing that antitrust law would eventually force him to leave agent work if he entered film production.

Aaron Anderson pursued film production and distribution while recruiting Australian newcomer Nicole Kidman as a client. Nicole agreed to sign with him, leaving Aaron with a new Hollywood client.

• Aaron introduced screenwriter Bruce Robin to newcomer Jack Wells because Bruce did not interest him.
• At a reception with Paula Wagner, Aaron discussed producing films and joked that he might persuade Tom Cruise to play a ghost for a $10 million salary.
• After spotting a poster for Dead Calm, Aaron arranged a meeting with its leading actress, Nicole Kidman.
• Aaron offered Nicole a one-year representation contract and explained that film distribution was his main business.
• Nicole accepted Aaron's offer because she lacked connections and wanted an agent to help her find opportunities in Hollywood.

Aaron Anderson pursued Adam Sandler as a client, urging him to leave ITA for CAA and promising to help sell his comedy scripts. He also considered pitching the film 3000 to Nicole Kidman, while Adam left uncertain about the risks of switching agencies.

• Aaron Anderson reviewed client files with Jack Wells and chose to pursue Saturday Night Live writer and performer Adam Sandler.
• Jack Wells told Aaron about Touchstone Pictures' low-budget romantic comedy 3000, and Aaron considered Nicole Kidman for the project.
• Aaron met Adam Sandler at a bar and urged him to return to CAA when his one-year contract with Ari Emanuel expired.
• Aaron warned Adam that CAA planned to suppress ITA and promised to help sell scripts Adam created from his Saturday Night Live experience.
• Adam Sandler left the meeting worried about CAA and ITA's conflict and about becoming a target.

Aaron pursued an audition for Nicole Kidman in a Disney romantic comedy and met video-store clerk Quentin Tarantino, who wanted help pitching his scripts. Aaron offered to review Tarantino’s work and possibly support his filmmaking ambitions.

• Nicole Kidman visited Aaron and reminded him that Warner Bros. was holding a screening of Dead Calm that evening.
• Aaron showed Nicole pages from a Disney romantic comedy and agreed to help her get an audition.
• Aaron took Nicole to a styling salon, then stopped at a nearby video store and found Quentin Tarantino watching a Hong Kong kung fu film.
• Aaron gave Tarantino his business card and invited him to bring his two scripts for review and possible pitching.
• Quentin said he hoped to become a director, and Aaron left the store excited about meeting him.

Aaron Anderson convinced Jeffrey Katzenberg to develop his revised romantic comedy, Pretty Woman, and joined its preparations at Disney. Nicole Kidman hoped to audition, but casting proved difficult as established actresses avoided the female lead role.

• After Nicole Kidman attended the Dead Calm preview, Aaron discussed the film with her and promised to try to get her the Disney script.
• Aaron met with Jeffrey Katzenberg and pitched his revised 3000 script, retitled Pretty Woman, as a low-budget fairy-tale romantic comedy.
• Katzenberg approved the project with a budget cap of $15 million, and Disney began revising the script and formally launched Pretty Woman.
• Aaron told Michael Ovitz he wanted Nicole to audition for the female lead, while Ovitz warned that her lack of fame made her chances low.
• Aaron joined Pretty Woman's preparations, but casting stalled because established actresses avoided the prostitute role and major stars showed little interest in the male lead.

Aaron discussed casting and script revisions for Pretty Woman, signed Quentin Tarantino as a client, and coordinated Steven Soderbergh’s trip to Cannes for Sex, Lies, and Videotape. The chapter ended when Nicole Kidman told Aaron that a director had invited her to discuss a script at the Culver Hotel.

• Aaron learned that Disney had invited Christopher Reeve, Karen Allen, and Molly Ringwald to consider roles in Pretty Woman, but none had replied.
• Aaron signed Quentin Tarantino as a screenwriter and director client and arranged for his True Romance script to be proofread.
• Miramax asked Aaron to discuss Steven Soderbergh’s Cannes plans, and Aaron told Soderbergh he would likely travel there near the end of the month.
• Aaron spoke with Harvey Weinstein about Miramax’s investment in Sex, Lies, and Videotape and urged him to trust the film’s prospects at Cannes.
• Nicole Kidman called Aaron and said a director had invited her to discuss a script at the Culver Hotel that night.

Aaron accompanied Nicole Kidman to meet Orion Pictures executive Peter Holman, who implied she should trade sex for a role, and rejected his attempt to pressure them. After explaining Hollywood’s casting and power structures, Aaron told Nicole she could audition for Pretty Woman, though he could not guarantee the part.

• Aaron found Nicole Kidman waiting in the Culver Hotel lobby and went with her to meet Orion Pictures executive Peter Holman.
• Peter Holman tried to send Aaron away, criticized Nicole’s height, and suggested Orion had roles that might suit her without naming a project.
• Aaron challenged Peter’s authority and left the hotel with Nicole rather than let her accept his advances.
• Aaron took Nicole to a West Hollywood bar and explained how film companies, producers, directors, and stars influenced casting.
• Aaron told Nicole that Pretty Woman casting had begun and that she would get an audition, though he could not promise her the role.
• Nicole said she liked the role in Ghost, and Aaron assured her that he would help her when the time came.

Aaron planned to attend Cannes with Nicole Kidman, where he would support Steven Soderbergh and sell international rights to "Sex, Lies, and Videotape." After discussing the film’s sales strategy with Paula Wagner, Aaron prepared to leave for France the next day.

• Aaron invited Nicole Kidman to join him at Cannes and encouraged her to keep reading his script for "Ghost."
• Aaron and Nicole read that Arnold Schwarzenegger had avoided food poisoning on the "Total Recall" set, and Aaron explained his rising salary among action stars.
• Aaron and Nicole spent the following days together as "Dead Calm" approached seven million dollars at the box office.
• Paula Wagner asked Aaron about international sales for "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," and Aaron proposed packaging its theatrical, videotape, and television rights for Japan and Europe.
• Aaron told Paula Wagner that he was flying to Cannes the next day.

At the Cannes Film Festival, Aaron secured North American distribution rights to Cinema Paradiso and helped promote both it and Sex, Lies, and Videotape. After Cinema Paradiso received strong reviews, Harvey Weinstein approached Aaron about buying its rights, but Aaron postponed negotiations until after the awards ceremony.

• Aaron watched Cinema Paradiso with Nicole Kidman and decided to meet its director, Giuseppe Tornatore.
• Aaron signed a contract with Cristaldi Film to handle Cinema Paradiso's North American distribution and planned a press conference for its Cannes screening.
• Aaron arranged receptions for Steven Soderbergh and the Sex, Lies, and Videotape cast while negotiating the film's international distribution rights.
• Cinema Paradiso's Cannes screening went smoothly and earned good reviews.
• Harvey Weinstein told Aaron he had wanted Cinema Paradiso's North American rights, and Aaron agreed to discuss a possible deal after the closing ceremony.

At the Cannes Film Festival, Sex, Lies, and Videotape won the Palme d'Or, and Aaron celebrated with Steven Soderbergh before negotiating the North American distribution rights to Cinema Paradiso. Nicole Kidman rebuffed Harvey Weinstein's suggestive pitch, and Miramax ultimately bought the rights for $3.2 million.

• Aaron warned Nicole Kidman that Harvey Weinstein might use acting roles to lure her to a hotel.
• Sex, Lies, and Videotape won the Palme d'Or, James Spader won Best Actor, and Cinema Paradiso received the Jury Prize at Cannes.
• Aaron congratulated Steven Soderbergh and James Spader at Miramax's yacht party and introduced Nicole Kidman to Jane Campion.
• Harvey Weinstein hinted that Nicole Kidman would need to make sacrifices to get Hollywood opportunities, but Aaron interrupted and joined her.
• Aaron negotiated with Harvey Weinstein over Cinema Paradiso's North American distribution rights, and Miramax bought them for $3.2 million.

After winning distribution deals at Cannes, Aaron returned to Los Angeles and received a bonus and a Lotus from CAA. He learned about casting troubles on Pretty Woman and was assigned to find a North American distributor for Golden Harvest’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while Nicole Kidman prepared to audition for the female lead.

• Steven Soderbergh won the Palme d'Or for Sex, Lies, and Videotape, and Aaron sold its European and Japanese distribution rights along with rights for Cinema Paradiso.
• Aaron returned to Los Angeles, where CAA rewarded him with a $200,000 bonus and a Lotus sports car for his Cannes deals.
• Aaron learned that Pretty Woman had not secured its leads and that Al Pacino might instead join Dick Tracy, while Steven Reuther asked him to bring Nicole Kidman to audition.
• Michael Ovitz assigned Aaron to help Golden Harvest find a North American distributor for its live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Aaron met Steven Reuther, who said Al Pacino had not signed for Pretty Woman and that Richard Gere was the backup male lead.

Aaron helped Nicole Kidman prepare to audition for Pretty Woman while promoting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Golden Harvest USA. He brought Nicole to the audition, where she faced Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, and Jennifer Connelly, and Aaron doubted she could beat Julia Roberts for the role.

• Aaron explained Pretty Woman’s story to Nicole Kidman and took her to observe streetwalkers as she prepared for the female lead audition.
• Aaron discussed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with producer Thomas Ruger and suggested screening its rough cut for several distributors after the film wrapped.
• Aaron took Nicole Kidman to audition for Pretty Woman at Disney Studios, where he encountered Richard Lovett and Julia Roberts.
• Aaron saw Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly at the audition and judged them too youthful for the role, while doubting Nicole could outcompete Julia Roberts.

Aaron Anderson tried to expand his roster of acting clients while attending the Pretty Woman casting discussions. After Julia Roberts was chosen as the female lead, he urged producer Steven Reuther to pursue Al Pacino for the male lead and asked to meet him to persuade him.

• Nicole Kidman told Aaron Anderson that her Pretty Woman audition had gone poorly, then left to rest while Aaron stayed for the film discussion.
• Aaron met Jennifer Connelly after her audition, offered to represent her, and gave her his business card when she said she had not decided whether to return to acting.
• At a Disney meeting, Gary Goldstein announced that newcomer Julia Roberts would play the female lead, while Steven Reuther said Al Pacino seemed uninterested in the male lead.
• Aaron told Steven Reuther that Al Pacino was a better choice than Richard Gere and urged him to keep pursuing Pacino.
• Aaron asked Steven Reuther to take him to meet Al Pacino so he could try to persuade him to accept the role, and Steven agreed.

Aaron Anderson persuaded Al Pacino to star opposite Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, then helped Quentin Tarantino’s True Romance reach director Tony Scott. He signed Adam Sandler as a client and planned to get him back onto Saturday Night Live.

• Al Pacino rejected Pretty Woman until Aaron argued that it could strengthen his career more than a supporting role in Dick Tracy.
• Al Pacino signed with Pretty Woman in late May to play its male lead opposite Julia Roberts.
• Aaron sent Quentin Tarantino’s Natural Born Killers script for proofreading and learned that Tony Scott liked the script for True Romance.
• Aaron signed Adam Sandler as a client and told him he would help him return to Saturday Night Live.